What made it possible for Asian countries to have such a turn-around in technology? A body of literature seeks to answer this question by examining cultural aspects (e.g., Asian values), innovation systems (e.g., government agencies and policies), geopolitical situations (e.g., the Cold War context), or charismatic leadership in business and policymaking areas (e.g., the founders of Sony and Samsung). Yet no one has taken a serious look into the nature of the technology gap per se. What is the technology gap? What exactly do we mean by “bridging” this gap? Is there a universal yardstick to measure and rank the national capacity for technological productivity? I think that the term ‘gap’ is a useful yet problematic metaphor, for a gap connotes a space or distance between two objects. Is the technology gap something that can be filled with more stuff or be connected with a bridge?

Contents

Preface Youngsoo Bae i Introduction Buhm Soon Park ix

Chapter 1 Bridging the Technology Gap in Japan: Technology, Culture and Identity in the Late 19th to the 21st Century Morris Low 1